Volume 99, Nº 6 (2020)

Introduction. Providing sanitary and epidemiological safety for the secure packing production is a mandatory requirement for all manufacturers of food packing materials, no matter if it is in direct contact with foodstuff or not. However, hazardous chemicals can penetrate products from recycled materials, as well as from the moving parts of any packing equipment. Hence, the problem of packing material contamination by mineral oils, which can occur while using recycled materials, printing inks for making inscriptions and pictures, lubricating components of equipment, is of on-going interest. If packing materials are contaminated by mineral oils adverse chemicals can penetrate the foodstuff from the packing. Current packing safety requirements of European and Customs Unions differ in certain issues, in particular, hygienic regulation of mineral oils. Determination and assessment of mineral oil concentration are not regulated by Technical Regulation of the Customs Union 005/2011 “On Packing Safety” (TP TC 005/2011) in contrast to the requirements of European Union regulations which state allowable concentration and safe level of hydrocarbons in packing.

Material and Methods. 23 samples of cardboard packing from various manufacturers were studied, 10 of them containing wastepaper, 9 containing cellulose materials, and 4 samples being produced without recycled materials. The level of mineral oil migration into the air or aquatic simulated environments was determined. The studies were carried out at the “Arbitrazh” chemical and analytical Center of the D.I. Mendeleev All-Russian Scientific Research Institute, by gas chromatography using Perkin Elmer Auto System. Supelco standard was used for getting calibration characteristics, i.e.: a mixture of normal structure aliphatic hydrocarbons from C₆ to C₄₄, mass parts of certain hydrocarbons being from 1 to 12% of the masses.

Results. All studied cardboard packing samples were found to contain mineral oil in the hydrocarbon range of C₇-C₁₇. Mineral oil migration levels from 19 cardboard packing samples into simulated air and aquatic environments were determined.

Conclusion. Hygienic safety regulation issues of foodstuff cardboard packing are relevant and require further research. It is reasonable to include mineral oils into the list of regulated sanitary-epidemiologic safety indices, and standard values of chemicals releasing from food-contacting packing into the list of monitored indices TP TC 005/2011.

Introduction. The national programs focus on solving social and economic problems. At the same time, the hygienic characteristics of the urban environment that determine living conditions are not fully included in the documents regulating the formation of the urban environment.

Materials and methods. The paper provides a content analysis of the current normative and methodological literature recommended for use in assessing the “formation of a comfortable urban environment” in Russian localities.

Results. Currently, existing methods for assessing the “comfort of the urban environment” (methodology for forming the urban environment quality index dated March 23, 2019, No. 510-R) and “quality of the urban living environment” (methodology for assessing the quality of the urban living environment dated September 9, 2013, 371) are not suitable for determining the development strategy of the country’s territories because the assessment procedure does not include key hygienic indices of the comfort of the natural environment and living conditions of the population, which allow citizens to meet housing needs and ensure a high quality of life in General, including the birth of healthy children, maintaining the health of the adult population and preventing premature mortality.

Conclusion. The urban environment integrates a variety of inter-level relations of various types (economic, social, cultural, etc.). It is intended to study it as a multi-level structure, for this purpose, it is necessary to use a hierarchical approach. To implement this approach, it is recommended to take into account the indices of various groups that affect the comfort of the urban environment and are directly related to the hygienic characteristics of the territory: A-climatogeographic; B-demographic; C-social; D-economic; E - urban planning; F - indices of transport infrastructure; G-environmental quality indices.

Introduction. Regulation of drinking water quality is a very important area of health care and improving the quality of life of the population of the Russian Federation.

The aim of this work is the development a model for the assessment of the drinking water quality and calculating the share of the population, including urban, provided with high-quality drinking water from centralized water supply systems, taking into account new methodological approaches to the evaluation of the quality of drinking water using the example of water supply to settlements in the Leningrad Region.

Material and methods. The data on the organization of centralized cold water supply systems and monitoring systems for drinking water quality and the results of laboratory studies of drinking water quality in the cities of Volkhov, Svetogorsk, Slantsy, Tosno were studied. Statistical processing of the results was performed, the categories of quality of drinking water supplied to the population were determined, the number of the population provided with high-quality drinking water from the water supply system was calculated in accordance with Guidelines 2.1.4.0143-19.

Results. In 2018, 100% of the population was provided with quality drinking water only in the city of Slantsy. In the city of Tosno, this index reached of 83.5%. In the cities of Volkhov and Svetogorsk, drinking water was rated as low-quality. But it is worth noting that in the cities of Volkhov and Slantsy laboratory tests were carried out at 2 points, in the city of Svetogorsk - only at the 1 point, which, given the number of residents, is not enough. For an objective assessment of the state of drinking water and the development of measures aimed at improving its quality, it is necessary to increase the number of monitoring points, as well as to include the results of control and supervision measures and production laboratory control conducted by water supply organizations in the volume of laboratory information.

Conclusion. The proposed model allows us to assess the drinking water quality in centralized water supply systems and the proportion of the population, including urban, provided with quality drinking water at the level of the water supply system, settlement, municipal district (urban district), subject of the Russian Federation

Introduction. Labor in the Arctic is associated with an increased risk of developing occupational diseases.

The purpose of the study was to identify changes in risk factors, structure, and prevalence of occupational pathology among employees of enterprises in the Arctic during 2007-2018.

Material and methods. The analysis of the data of socio-hygienic monitoring “Working conditions and occupational morbidity” of the Russian Arctic zone population was carried out.

Results. 72.6% of workers at enterprises in the Arctic were found to have contact with harmful occupational factors. Within 12 years, the proportion of individuals exposed to noise and chemical factors decreased (p <0.001), while the proportion of those exposed to whole-body vibration, fibrogenic aerosols, and having increased severity of labor increased (p<0.001). In 2007-2018, the number of occupational pathology cases among employees of mining enterprises increased significantly (from 38.8% to 62.8%, p <0.001), while in metallurgical plants-it decreased (from 33.2% to 7.3% (p <0.001). In the structure of occupational pathology, the shares of radiculopathy (p <0.001) and vibration disease (p <0.001) increased due to a decrease in the shares of chronic bronchitis (p <0.001) and mono-polyneuropathy (p <0.001). Also, characteristic features of occupational pathology were an increase in the number of diseases associated with the severity of labor (from 20.7% to 46.9%, p <0.001), diseases diagnosed in one employee (from 1.006 ± 0.004 to 1.396 ± 0.030 cases, p < 0.001) and the number of men among occupational patients (from 87.3% to 94.7%, p <0.001).

Conclusion. It is necessary to continue both improve working conditions at enterprises in the Arctic, and study the reasons for the low efficiency of prevention of occupational diseases, caused primarily by increased severity of labor in the mining industry.

Introduction. Assessing the operational conditions of doctors is a difficult and urgent task. There are very few studies on the operational conditions of dentists providing care to children.

The aim of the study was to conduct a comprehensive hygienic assessment of the operational dentists working in state children’s dental polyclinics.

Material and methods. A comprehensive hygienic assessment of the operational conditions of dentists providing care to children was performed at 49 workplaces in 5 state medical institutions in St. Petersburg. We studied the factors of the operational environment (physical, chemical, biological), as well as the factors of the labor process (severity and hardness), and performed the comparison of the operational conditions of pediatric dentists, dental surgeons, and orthodontists. The paired t-test or Mann-Whitney was used for comparison of means. All tests were two-way; the level of statistical significance p <0.05.

Results. According to the microclimate parameters, vibration, and lighting, all workplaces corresponded to the second (permissible) class of working conditions. In terms of noise, the working conditions of pediatric dentists and orthodontic corresponded to class 3.3, and the working conditions of dental surgeons - to class 2. The degree of chemical pollution at all workplaces corresponded to class 2, the degree of biological air pollution - to class 3.2. According to the hardness of the labor process, the working conditions of dentists of specialties under investigation corresponded to class 2 at 36 workplaces (73%) and class 3.1 at 13 workplaces (27%). In terms of labor intensity, they corresponded to class 1 at 20 workplaces (41%) and class 2 at 29 workplaces (59%). The overall assessment of operational conditions for pediatric dentists and orthodontists corresponds to class 3.3, and for dental surgeons – to class 3.2.

Conclusion. The major harmful factors at the workplace of dentists were noise, biological pollution, and the hardness of the work process. It is necessary to further study the comprehensive and combined effects of various occupational factors of dentists taking care of children to maintain health, working capacity, and high-level quality of life, as well as to develop measures for their improvement.

Introduction. This article presents typical drawbacks in the sanitary-hygienic characteristics of working conditions, aimed at examining the relationship of the disease with the occupation among medical workers for the period 2000-2017 in the North-West Federal District, and making it difficult to conduct this examination with a positive outcome for the patient. Ways to eliminate these drawbacks are proposed.

The purpose of the study is to establish the main typical drawbacks of the operational conditions there when compiling the sanitary-hygienic characteristics and hindering the establishment of a causal relationship between the disease and the occupation in medical workers when resolving expert issues, suggest ways to address them.

Material and methods. Based on the materials of the Federal State Budgetary Institution Scientific Center for Hygiene and Public Health and the Centers for Occupational Pathology (COP) of the subjects of the Northwestern Federal District of the Russian Federation (NWFD), a retrospective analysis of a sample of case histories of patients with established occupational diseases (n = 227) and unidentified cases (n = 32) employed in medical institutions of the North-Western Federal District and sent to the COP to examine the relationship between the disease and the occupation. Between 2000 and 2017 259 medical workers were sent to the central control center on the territory of the NWFD for the examination of the relationship between the disease and the occupation, 32 were not found to have a causal relationship with the occupational activity.

Results. The analysis of sanitary and hygienic characteristics indicates an insufficient objective assessment of the operational conditions of medical workers. In most cases, the compilers of these characteristics did not critically transfer data from the documentation for a special assessment of operational conditions into them and did not take into account the leading role of the biological factor in shaping the risk of occupational pathology.

Conclusion. To correct the situation, serious optimization of both the regulatory framework and the working methods of the Federal Service for Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare institutions, as well as other structures involved in assessing working conditions in healthcare institutions, is required.

Introduction. Economic activity without taking into account the ecological potential of the territory, the possibilities of self-purification of the natural environment, as well as the adaptive capabilities of the population has led to irreversible changes in many territories. This reduces the level of health of the population and hinders the socio-economic development of the regions.

Material and methods. The research was conducted in seven cities located in four climatic zones with varying degrees of air pollution. To assess the level of atmospheric air pollution, the P-Pinigin index was used, and the WBGT index was used for meteorological factors. Data on a medico-biological and social nature were obtained through a questionnaire survey of parents (2380 children). The incidence rates were studied based on the materials of primary accounting documents of forms F. 112-u and F. 026-u (2400 children). In 506 children, indices of the functional state of the cardiorespiratory system, the function of the respiratory system, as well as the functional state of children before and after dosed physical activity were studied.

Results. The study revealed more numerous groups of frequently and long-term ill children, children with lower indices of respiratory function, and adverse responses to the dosed physical activity. A more adverse effect of the combined effects of harsh climatic conditions and high levels of atmospheric pollution on the studied indices of children’s health was found.

Conclusion. The results obtained should be taken into account when organizing medical services and ensuring the sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population living in the industrial cities of the Northern regions.

Introduction. Work and stress occupy a leading place among the causes of diseases of Russians. Working hours and work intensity (WI) are the main parameters of the workload. The main difficulty of physiological analysis, measurement, and hygienic assessment of WI is a purely individual psychophysiological characteristic of the degree of stress of the working person’s body, being masked by three factors: the composition and organization of labor actions, personal factor, and hygienic working conditions. The individual physiological range of average work intensity (IR) is 1.5. The change in WI inside of this diapason determines the intra-shift dynamics of performance, from the typical monotonous activity to the characteristic of neuro-humoral stress. The criterion for physiological and hygienic assessment of Wt is the stability of the dynamics of performance, fatigue, and health indices of employees.

The purpose of the study: to establish the annual increase in the risk of health disorders of employees at different levels of physiological intensity of work, correlated with IR.

Materials and methods. We studied WI and the dynamics of health index s(DZ) in 2509 physical and mental workers with varying degrees of fatigue (industrial workers, doctors, nurses, school teachers, office workers). The annual increase in risk (AIR) chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system, long-term morbidity with the temporary disability (MTD) was used to characterize the WI.

Results. With high and high WI, the long-MTD AIR (0.80%) of the watch factory workers is 3.2 times higher than the control level - 0.25%. At a high WI level (1.11-1.20) of the installers, the AIR of cardiovascular diseases with MTD (1.0%) is 6.7 times higher than the control level of 0.15%, and the GPR of musculoskeletal diseases (1.1%) is 7.9 times higher than the control level of 0.14%. In precision workers with increased WI (1.01-1.10), the AIR of chronic fatigue syndrome (1.98%) exceeds the background level of 0.5% per year by 3.9 times, and with a high WI level (1.11-1.20), the AIR of musculoskeletal disorders exceeds the control level (0.2%) by 10.7 times. The maximum WI values for mental workers are 5-14% higher than those set for manual labor.

Conclusions. 1. The IR is determined by the ratio of the maximum labor productivity, at which there is still no employee fatigue at the end of the working day, to the productivity, at which there is large employee fatigue. IR = 1.5. 2. When WI is 20 -30% above the lower bound of IR, there are 2-4 times increased AIR health disorders; while WI 30-40% higher than the lower border of IR, AIR for chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiovascular disease, diseases of the musculoskeletal system increases by 5-10 times. 3. Long hours, which are often considered the main risk factor for the health of workers, are the actual risk factor if the work is not performed at a reduced intensity.

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the tasks set in the National Project “Demography” (Federal Project “Senior Generation”), and consists in the need for registration of functional characteristics of the organism of older age groups in the accounting system of measures to preserve their health.

Aim of the study is to establish the characteristics of anxiety and components of the postural balance (CPB) in elderly women with the risk of recurrent falls.

Material and methods. We examined 232 women aged 55-69 years who reported that they experienced two or more falls over the past 12 months. The first age group included women whose calendar age was in the range of 55-64 years (n = 72), the second - women aged 65-69 years (n = 160). Using the self-assessment diagnostic technique by Spielberger, Ch. D., and Khanin, Yu. L. we determined the level of situational (SA) and personal (PA) anxiety. To assess the features of the CPB, a US-manufactured computerized dynamic posturography complex Smart Equitest Balance Manager was used. Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and Motor Control Test (MCT) tests were conducted.

Results. When analyzing anxiety scale values, a high level of PA was revealed in both groups of women, however, the SA indices in women 55-64 years old were lower than for women 65-69 years old (p = 0.005). All this indicates that the development of recurrent falls among women older 64 years will be accompanied by mental tension and pronounced emotional responses to postural changes. According to computerized dynamic posturography testing, age-related differences in CPB have been revealed. There was a decrease in the quality of the equilibrium function by test 5 SOT and vestibular information in postural control found in women of age group 55-64, whereas for women in the age group 65-69 there was a decrease in the quality of equilibrium function by test 4 and visual information in balance control. In the latter, there was also found an increase in the time of coordinated motor response by the test of unexpected external impact on the shift of the center of gravity capable of enhancing the risks of stuttering and falls when walking fast.

Conclusion. The suggested criteria for assessing the risk of falls in elderly women can be used to develop individual health programs to prevent serious consequences in such events.

Introduction. Lack of studies proving or denying passive smoker health risks caused by electronic cigarettes prevented from introducing restrictive measures and considering them to be tobacco products as early as in 2013. Indoor air pollution by consumed nicotine-containing products in extra-low concentrations which could be detected using high-tech lab mass-spectrometry techniques was the object of study.

Material and methods. “Unknown composition” air sampling was carried out in the process of simulation tests. Three types of tobacco products were used in the tests: tobacco cigarettes, electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS), battery-powered heat-not-burn tobacco cigarettes (IQOS) with tobacco sticks. “Unknown composition” air samples were analyzed for volatile organic compounds, medium volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (total and separately 16 priority PAHs, inorganic elements (Si, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni). Sampling was carried out three times a day on separate days for each type of product and control, a total of 12 “unknown composition” air samples being collected. The study of “unknown composition” air samples was carried out at the accredited chemical-analytical center “Arbitrazh” of the D.I. Mendeleev Institute of Metrology (accreditation certificate РОСС RU.0001.510650).

Results. A total number of 115 chemicals were determined, and among them, substances significant concentrations of which are most likely related to tobacco or nicotine consumption, as compared to control, and depend on the type of nicotine-containing product, were identified. Statistically significant concentration excess (р≤ 0.05), as compared to control, was seen for 27 chemicals in indoor air polluted by-products of consumed tobacco cigarettes; when using electronic nicotine-delivery system (ENDS) the excess (р≤ 0.05) was shown for 2 chemicals, i.e.: acenaphthylene and benz(a)perene, and when using heat-not-burn tobacco products (IQOS) the excess of studied chemical concentrations in comparison with control was not reported.

Conclusion. Findings of comparative analysis of “unknown composition” air sampling give evidence that a much larger number of harmful chemicals at significantly exceeded concentrations (р≤ 0.05), including those causing human health risks, is released when smoking cigarettes, as compared to using ENDS or IQOS.